UK Slaughter Statistics

UK Slaughter Statistics - March 2012

UK clean pig slaughterings for February 2012 were 767,000 head and pig meat production was 64,000 tonnes.

Key Points

Pigs: UK clean pig slaughterings were 1 per cent higher than in February 2011 at 767 thousand
head. Pigmeat production was 64 thousand tonnes, which was the same as in February 2011.

Cattle: UK prime cattle slaughterings were 6 per cent lower than in February 2011 at 159
thousand head. Beef and veal production was 70 thousand tonnes, 6 per cent lower than in
February 2011.

Sheep: UK clean sheep slaughterings were 5 per cent lower than in February 2011 at 788
thousand head. Mutton and lamb production was 19 thousand tonnes, 4 per cent lower than in
February 2011.

Section 1. UK monthly slaughter estimates

This table shows monthly estimates of the number of cattle, sheep and pigs slaughtered for meat for
human consumption in the United Kingdom. The survey is run according to statistical, rather than
calendar months, the number of weeks in the statistical month is specified below.

Table 1: UK Monthly Slaughter Estimates
Thousand Head

United Kingdom

December 2011
4 weeks

January 20125 weeks

February 20124 weeks

Clean Pigs

743

943

767

Sows and Boars

*

26

19

Steers

69

89

78

Heifers

57

75

62

Young Bulls

17

22

19

Cows and Adult Bulls

46

60

45

Calves

5

6

6

Other Sheep and Lambs

1007

977

788

Ewes and Rams

158

170

138

* Data are confidential

Section 2. UK average dressed carcase weights

This table shows the monthly average dressed carcase weight of livestock slaughtered for meat for
human consumption in the United Kingdom.

Table 2. UK average dressed carcass weights
(kilogramme)

United Kingdom

December 2011

January 2012

February 2012

Clean pigs

78.0

79.1

79.3

Sows and boars

151.3

148.7

149.6

Steers

365.4

368.4

369.6

Heifers

320.7

325.0

325.2

Young bulls

348.4

348.5

347.8

Cows and adult bulls

311.6

318.6

319.0

Calves

50.5

49.5

46.1

Other Sheep and Lambs

18.7

19.6

19.8

Ewes and Rams

24.7

25.5

25.8

Section 3. UK monthly home-killed production of meat

This table shows the monthly volumes of meat produced in the United Kingdom. Data is shown
according to statistical, rather than calendar months, number of weeks in statistical month as specified.

Table 3. UK monthly home-killed production of meat
(thousand tonnes)

United Kingdom

December 2011
4 weeks

January 20125 weeks

February 20124 weeks

Pig meat

61

78

64

Beef

64

84

70

Mutton and Lamb

23

23

19

Section 4. UK average weekly slaughterings

This following table shows the average weekly slaughter figures for the last thirteen months. The
monthly slaughter figures in section one are affected by the number of weeks in the statistical month.
To get a clearer measure of trends weekly averages are calculated by dividing the number of livestock
slaughtered each month by the number of weeks in the statistical month.

Longer term trends can be seen in the charts following this table.

Table 4. UK average weekly slaughterings
(thousand head)

United Kingdom

2011

2012

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Clean pigs

191

189

177

178

185

187

190

199

199

207

186

188

192

Sows and boars

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

5

5

Steers

20

21

20

20

18

17

19

22

21

20

17

18

19

Heifers

17

16

15

15

14

13

14

15

15

16

14

15

16

Young bulls

6

6

6

7

8

7

6

6

5

5

4

4

5

Cows and adult bulls

12

11

10

12

12

11

12

13

15

16

11

12

11

Calves

2

2

2

1

1

1

1

2

2

2

1

1

2

Other Sheep and Lambs

207

201

192

180

211

260

279

291

312

284

252

195

197

Ewes and Rams

40

35

34

34

35

39

40

40

45

43

39

34

34

* Data are confidential

United Kingdom average weekly slaughtering - Pigs

United Kingdom average weekly slaughtering – Cattle

United Kingdom average weekly slaughtering – Sheep

Section 5. UK slaughterings by country

This table shows monthly estimates of the number of cattle, sheep and pigs slaughtered for meat in
England and Wales, Scotland, Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Data are shown in statistical
months, rather than calendar months. The totals for the countries may not add up to the Great Britain
totals or the United Kingdom totals in section one, due to rounding.